Exploring how visual arts programmes can empower people from the onset of dementia symptoms
Professor Martin Orrell, Director of the Institute of Mental Health at the University of Nottingham, chairs a debate between leaders in social prescribing, culture health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on referral to visual arts programmes. The Pleasure Principle – the brain’s response to beauty is explained, a museum in Leeds has invited a Linking Leeds link worker to offer social prescribing from the museum and Leeds Black Elders inspires members through arts. During lockdown the Southbank motivated 4,500 people to overcome loneliness and isolation through creating art and enabled them to send it by post to exhibit at Southbank. Among the many ways The Big Draw encourages drawing is through daily diaries and sketch crawls. The Wallace Collection aired a n significant plan for a year-long arts programme to preserve brain health. The social prescribing student scheme was explained and UCL’s new Masters programme in arts and sciences programme was explained as a key step towards enhancing research policy and practice.
CHAIR: Professor Martin Orrell, Director, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham
PANELLISTS:
- Professor Semir Zeki, Professor of Neuroaesthetics, University College London
- Professor Helen Chatterjee, Professor of Biology, Genetics, Evolution and Environment Division of Biosciences, University College London
- Sue Mackay, Culture Health and Wellbeing Alliance regional champion, Thackray Museum of Medicine, Leeds
- Ruth Salthouse, Localities Manager, Linking Leeds
- Pam Charles, Leeds Black Elders Association
- Jessica Santer, Art by Post, Southbank Centre
- Holly Power, Communities Learning Producer, The Wallace Collection
- Kate Mason, Director, The Big Draw
- Sian Brand, Social Prescribing Regional Learning Coordinator
- Hamaad Khan, NHS Social Prescribing Champion Scheme, Development Support Officer, Global Social Prescribing Alliance
- Veronica Franklin Gould (VeronicArts and A4D)
The webinar is part of a series is produced in partnership with Sir Muir Gray of the Optimal Ageing Programme at the University of Oxford and with Arts 4 Dementia.